Oh dear Lord, no! USAF LEAN
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Don't put all your mongs/sicknotes/losers on the lean teams, use people with balls who don't just say yes to chopping things for choppings sake. Even better still, just get the powers that be to look at what it's done to the UK armed forces. They may have a rethink.
Join Date: Apr 2005
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I agree, you can't defeat it but you can give the beast a bloody nose.
We managed to prove on one LEAN RIE for a section at my unit that by using Simpler's own stats for average working hours per person (5 1/2 hours of productive work in an 8 hour shift) that the section ( a 13 person section) was under-manned by 6 people. Of course being LEAN any stats you can pull out to prove trying to instigate saving would actually damage productivity are quietly ignored.
Oh yeah, and usually the first thing they say is that LEAN is not about cutting manpower before swiftly moving on to ask you how many personnel you have in you section.
We managed to prove on one LEAN RIE for a section at my unit that by using Simpler's own stats for average working hours per person (5 1/2 hours of productive work in an 8 hour shift) that the section ( a 13 person section) was under-manned by 6 people. Of course being LEAN any stats you can pull out to prove trying to instigate saving would actually damage productivity are quietly ignored.
Oh yeah, and usually the first thing they say is that LEAN is not about cutting manpower before swiftly moving on to ask you how many personnel you have in you section.
Air Force Lean???
I will bet you the Pizza Parlors, Clubs, swimming pools and such will not be cut. Our hearts used to bleed seeing how the boys in blue suffered in a combat zone....oh do check your weapon at the gate....no firearms allowed dear boy!
I will bet you the Pizza Parlors, Clubs, swimming pools and such will not be cut. Our hearts used to bleed seeing how the boys in blue suffered in a combat zone....oh do check your weapon at the gate....no firearms allowed dear boy!
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Robbed from 'E-Goat' (the place many of us non-growbag RAF types also hang around).
The Ministry of Defence says troops are to carry out a week-long review to see if additional equipment is needed.
How would that work? Fast forward to Afghanistan, in the near future....
The patrol is halfway through their prescribed route, 1st Lt Ponsonby-Smythe calls a halt.
P-S: Okay bwoys, we're about halfway thwough our patwol, time to get your feedback forms sorted.
Sgt Hardnut: Uh, sir, do you really think that's wise? We're pretty exposed here.
P-S: muttering Bloody sergeants. raises voice It'll be fine, sergeant, we've theen no thight of the enemy for the past couple of hours. Just make sure the lads use their safety goggles, we don't want anyone getting splinters in their eye from the penthils.
Sgt H: Very well sir, turns to patrol Get 'em out and filled in lads, by the numbers.
Private Pile: Sarge, my pencil's bust.
Private Heap: What does it mean, 'Specify nomenclature?'
Sgt H: God help me, Pile, use my pencil. Don't try to sharpen your bayonet with it! Heap, just write your name.
Heap obediently writes down 'Your Name'
Private Finance: Sarge, what's a 'Expediting Concept for the Exit Process'?
Sgt H: F*cks sake, I've told you all before, a f*ckin' Chinook!
Private Bill: Sarge, there's something moving out there
P-H: Jutht fill the form in, Bill. There's nothing out there you need to be contherned about.
Sgt H: peers towards the horizon Actually Sir...
Sudden tracer fire rips up the ground around the men, 1st Lt Ponsonby-Smythe dives to the ground.
P-S: Finance, Finance! Parth me that Risk Athethment form! He pulls out a pencil and starts scribbling furiously This'll show them!
Sgt H: Come on lads, get some f*ckin' rounds down. Put those beardy-weirdies out of our misery!
The platoon open fire enthusiastically. 1st Lt Ponsonby-Smythe makes a note to get Sgt Hardnut booked in for some Equality and Diversity training.
Meanwhile, back in LEAN HQ:
S/L Brownose: We need to be more proactive about this, Sgt Asshat, get a memo out. I want a representative from all sections to attend this event. Make sure you get 3 Company too, I don't want them crying off with any of that 'teeth arm' bollocks.
Sgt Asshat: Certainly sir, although we are running low on Post-It notes.
S/L B: Can't be having that, tell the stackers I want a priority demand for them. If they try to cause trouble tell them we're always ready to give their next RIE our fullest attention.
Sgt A: looks up from his phonecall Sir, they say they'll kick the mail off the aircraft and get them down here asap.
S/L B: Right, lets do a quick review so we know the solution everyone should work towards. I'm not happy with our touch-time and flow-time ratio. Why are we sending patrols out to look for our customers? Their total travel's something like 20 km. We're going to have to do something about that.
Sgt A: I've run some preliminary simulations, sir. Flow time is equating to roughly 14 hours with the average touch time only 45 minutes. If we could drop the flowtime somehow...
S/L B: By God, Asshat, you may have something there. Its a good thing I thought of that. If we could drop the flowtime, perhaps by bringing the customers closer...
Sgt A: It's an option, sir. If we move the accomodation tents and armoury closer to the camp gate, we can cut the flowtime for the guys to leave the camp.
S/L B: And not just that Sgt Asshat, if we move the accomodation tents and armoury closer to the camp gate, we can cut the flowtime for the chaps to leave the camp. Then all we'll have to do is move the customer closer. We can do that by dropping the travel distance, say by a factor of 10.
Sgt A: Of course, ultimately the whole operation would achieve full efficiency if we can get the guys into contact situations immediately outside...
S/L B: Yes, I've got it. We could achieve full efficiency if we can get the guys into contact situations immediately outside the camp. We can facilitate that by making sure that the patrol routes are only around the camp perimeter. And that'll mean there'll be no need for helicopter support as everything will be within easy reaching distance. Requistion some paint so we can get some boxes on the ground. We'll need to demarkate the conflict areas, rest areas and medivac zones. Yes, I think I've got our solution!
Sgt A: That'll be another promotion in the bag, sir.
Shortly after the implentation of Afghan LEAN, Kandahar was over-run by Taliban forces. In a strange twist of fate and common sense, they only executed the LEAN team...
How would that work? Fast forward to Afghanistan, in the near future....
The patrol is halfway through their prescribed route, 1st Lt Ponsonby-Smythe calls a halt.
P-S: Okay bwoys, we're about halfway thwough our patwol, time to get your feedback forms sorted.
Sgt Hardnut: Uh, sir, do you really think that's wise? We're pretty exposed here.
P-S: muttering Bloody sergeants. raises voice It'll be fine, sergeant, we've theen no thight of the enemy for the past couple of hours. Just make sure the lads use their safety goggles, we don't want anyone getting splinters in their eye from the penthils.
Sgt H: Very well sir, turns to patrol Get 'em out and filled in lads, by the numbers.
Private Pile: Sarge, my pencil's bust.
Private Heap: What does it mean, 'Specify nomenclature?'
Sgt H: God help me, Pile, use my pencil. Don't try to sharpen your bayonet with it! Heap, just write your name.
Heap obediently writes down 'Your Name'
Private Finance: Sarge, what's a 'Expediting Concept for the Exit Process'?
Sgt H: F*cks sake, I've told you all before, a f*ckin' Chinook!
Private Bill: Sarge, there's something moving out there
P-H: Jutht fill the form in, Bill. There's nothing out there you need to be contherned about.
Sgt H: peers towards the horizon Actually Sir...
Sudden tracer fire rips up the ground around the men, 1st Lt Ponsonby-Smythe dives to the ground.
P-S: Finance, Finance! Parth me that Risk Athethment form! He pulls out a pencil and starts scribbling furiously This'll show them!
Sgt H: Come on lads, get some f*ckin' rounds down. Put those beardy-weirdies out of our misery!
The platoon open fire enthusiastically. 1st Lt Ponsonby-Smythe makes a note to get Sgt Hardnut booked in for some Equality and Diversity training.
Meanwhile, back in LEAN HQ:
S/L Brownose: We need to be more proactive about this, Sgt Asshat, get a memo out. I want a representative from all sections to attend this event. Make sure you get 3 Company too, I don't want them crying off with any of that 'teeth arm' bollocks.
Sgt Asshat: Certainly sir, although we are running low on Post-It notes.
S/L B: Can't be having that, tell the stackers I want a priority demand for them. If they try to cause trouble tell them we're always ready to give their next RIE our fullest attention.
Sgt A: looks up from his phonecall Sir, they say they'll kick the mail off the aircraft and get them down here asap.
S/L B: Right, lets do a quick review so we know the solution everyone should work towards. I'm not happy with our touch-time and flow-time ratio. Why are we sending patrols out to look for our customers? Their total travel's something like 20 km. We're going to have to do something about that.
Sgt A: I've run some preliminary simulations, sir. Flow time is equating to roughly 14 hours with the average touch time only 45 minutes. If we could drop the flowtime somehow...
S/L B: By God, Asshat, you may have something there. Its a good thing I thought of that. If we could drop the flowtime, perhaps by bringing the customers closer...
Sgt A: It's an option, sir. If we move the accomodation tents and armoury closer to the camp gate, we can cut the flowtime for the guys to leave the camp.
S/L B: And not just that Sgt Asshat, if we move the accomodation tents and armoury closer to the camp gate, we can cut the flowtime for the chaps to leave the camp. Then all we'll have to do is move the customer closer. We can do that by dropping the travel distance, say by a factor of 10.
Sgt A: Of course, ultimately the whole operation would achieve full efficiency if we can get the guys into contact situations immediately outside...
S/L B: Yes, I've got it. We could achieve full efficiency if we can get the guys into contact situations immediately outside the camp. We can facilitate that by making sure that the patrol routes are only around the camp perimeter. And that'll mean there'll be no need for helicopter support as everything will be within easy reaching distance. Requistion some paint so we can get some boxes on the ground. We'll need to demarkate the conflict areas, rest areas and medivac zones. Yes, I think I've got our solution!
Sgt A: That'll be another promotion in the bag, sir.
Shortly after the implentation of Afghan LEAN, Kandahar was over-run by Taliban forces. In a strange twist of fate and common sense, they only executed the LEAN team...
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SASless,
I never try to defend the hand to hand 'fighting' qualities of USAF airmen (save for Combat Controllers and PJs!) with any ground pounders. But then, I also respond to the envy disguised as contempt with "We all volunteered to join the US military. It's just that some of us turned left at the recruiter's and some turned right."
US Service battle cries:
USMC: Oooh-rah!
USA: Hu-ah!
USN: Ahoy!
USAF: Fore!
Loads of airmen (and USN sailors as well) are being shanghied into convoy and other formerly USA/USMC duty to help stretch the Army's commitments. (I really hope it doesn't devolve into a "well, you shouldn't be there to start with" or "GWB is the devil," etc. from some, but then I am too optimisic at times.)
We are in the midst of a 40K + reduction with another 30K + being seriously considered.
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You have to reduce what you've got, so you have to get better and more focused on what you do. You can't tell me that you are the most efficient organisation, so you need a method of critically looking at what you do and cutting out all the crud.
Lean is just a method of doing that. If you don't train the people properly and put the right people into it, of course it will be crap. Same as a gun - safe in trained responsible hands, dangerous in the hands of an untrained idiot.
Lean is just a method of doing that. If you don't train the people properly and put the right people into it, of course it will be crap. Same as a gun - safe in trained responsible hands, dangerous in the hands of an untrained idiot.
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[quote=The Helpful Stacker;2907127]I agree, you can't defeat it but you can give the beast a bloody nose.
We managed to prove on one LEAN RIE for a section at my unit that by using Simpler's own stats for average working hours per person (5 1/2 hours of productive work in an 8 hour shift) that the section ( a 13 person section) was under-manned by 6 people. Of course being LEAN any stats you can pull out to prove trying to instigate saving would actually damage productivity are quietly ignored. quote]
Having qualified properly in Method Study and it's associated techniques, after being taught properly at the Royal Military College of Science somewhere near a white horse on a hill, what somebody wants to do is to ask Simpler if any of their staff are "suitably" qualified to receive the vast amounts of "consultancy income" that they currently receive. And ask to see their qualifying papers too while you're at it!!
I did, some years back, and was surprised at the result. Even their 'leading man' who has made mega bucks out of the MoD by spreading the lean message wasn't anywhere near as qualified as some corporals I've known.
We managed to prove on one LEAN RIE for a section at my unit that by using Simpler's own stats for average working hours per person (5 1/2 hours of productive work in an 8 hour shift) that the section ( a 13 person section) was under-manned by 6 people. Of course being LEAN any stats you can pull out to prove trying to instigate saving would actually damage productivity are quietly ignored. quote]
Having qualified properly in Method Study and it's associated techniques, after being taught properly at the Royal Military College of Science somewhere near a white horse on a hill, what somebody wants to do is to ask Simpler if any of their staff are "suitably" qualified to receive the vast amounts of "consultancy income" that they currently receive. And ask to see their qualifying papers too while you're at it!!
I did, some years back, and was surprised at the result. Even their 'leading man' who has made mega bucks out of the MoD by spreading the lean message wasn't anywhere near as qualified as some corporals I've known.
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Having qualified properly in Method Study and it's associated techniques, after being taught properly at the Royal Military College of Science somewhere near a white horse on a hill, what somebody wants to do is to ask Simpler if any of their staff are "suitably" qualified to receive the vast amounts of "consultancy income" that they currently receive. And ask to see their qualifying papers too while you're at it!!
I did, some years back, and was surprised at the result. Even their 'leading man' who has made mega bucks out of the MoD by spreading the lean message wasn't anywhere near as qualified as some corporals I've known.
I did, some years back, and was surprised at the result. Even their 'leading man' who has made mega bucks out of the MoD by spreading the lean message wasn't anywhere near as qualified as some corporals I've known.
Most of the RAF personnel who are on the LEAN team at our unit seem to be doing it so that they can get some experience, take redundancy or PVR and then go for a job with the company.
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Who am I to disapoint.....Seriously though good luck with the lean, maybe your right undercariage guy might be able to take on the mantle of the left undercarriage guy as well, thus saving manpower...
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I remember when I was one of those gallant petrol pump attendants from Stafford phoning Milldenhall to enquire on the whereabouts of the MH53 that was supposed to have turned up 40 minutes ago.
USAF - "Hello Milldenhall Ops, Sgt Overstaffed speaking."
Me - "Can you tell me when the MH53 that was booked in today is going to arrive at Stafford?"
USAF - "I can't as I just receive calls but I can pass you to someone who can."
Me - "So you guys pay a Sgt to answer phones?"
USAF - "Yes."
I guess there might be a little fat that can be trimmed from the air force of our colonial brethren.
USAF - "Hello Milldenhall Ops, Sgt Overstaffed speaking."
Me - "Can you tell me when the MH53 that was booked in today is going to arrive at Stafford?"
USAF - "I can't as I just receive calls but I can pass you to someone who can."
Me - "So you guys pay a Sgt to answer phones?"
USAF - "Yes."
I guess there might be a little fat that can be trimmed from the air force of our colonial brethren.
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I guess there might be a little fat that can be trimmed from the air force of our colonial brethren
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